Cerulean's canals glittered under the moonlight as Nathan sat cross-legged on the balcony of the inn's second floor, overlooking the soft currents below.
He had a lantern lit beside him, his notebook open across his lap, and four pokรฉballs arranged neatly in front of him.
The city around him had gone quiet, but inside his mind, the gears turned steadily.
Tomorrow wasn't just a test of power.
It was a test of readiness.
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ค: ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ โ ๐๐ฒ๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐: ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฒ (๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ)
๐๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ:
๐๐ข๐-๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฑ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ
๐ ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ณ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐
๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐๐๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฌ: ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฎ (๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ), ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ข๐ (๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ), ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ซ๐
๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐: ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ (๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง), ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐๐จ๐จ๐ฅ (๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ฌ), ๐๐ฒ๐๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ฌ (๐ซ๐๐ซ๐), ๐๐ฌ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐๐ค (๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข-๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ค)
๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฌ:
๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ
๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ (~๐๐๐๐ฆ โ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฌ)
๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ (๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ญ-๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ)
๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง:
๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ
๐๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญโ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฅ
Nathan ran a finger along the rim of Zorua's pokรฉball.
"Illusion's no good underwater," he muttered. "But if they surface"
He paused, visualising the field layout. Then opened the ball.
Zorua blinked into existence at his side, tail twitching as she adjusted to the open night.
He placed a pebble down in front of her and slowly moved a second beside it.
"This is Staryu. Imagine it opens right. Rushes low. Can you track the movement without visual?"
Zorua narrowed her eyes. Then, delicately, stepped forward and tapped the imagined route with a paw.
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐: ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ โ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐: ๐๐/๐๐๐ โ ๐๐/๐๐๐
๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ: ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ โฆ
"Good," he whispered. "Your job isn't deception this time. It's timing. Wait until they break the surface, then strike."
Zorua nodded and curled up beside the lantern.
Next: Squirtle.
The water-type materialised with a low blink and stretch.
Nathan watched him carefully.
"We're going into your element tomorrow. But that doesn't make it safe."
He pulled out a few cards marked with symbols, circles for surfacing zones, arrows for approach patterns.
"Let's run through patterns. If you swim under and she calls a flip, how fast can you withdraw and anchor?"
Squirtle frowned slightly. Then rotated in place and performed a mock Withdraw mid-spin.
Nathan snapped once. "Reset. Try again, but aim to exit within two seconds."
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐: ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ โ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฒ: ๐๐% โ ๐๐%
๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐: ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ค | ๐๐๐๐ค๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐ก๐จ๐ซ
๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐: ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ (๐๐% ๐๐ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ) โ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ
Nathan nodded to himself. "You're not our damage. You're our reset button."
Squirtle gave a small grin and settled back, arms crossed, confident.
Nidorino came next, summoned beside a chalk circle drawn to mimic the arena rim.
"You'll be waiting on the edge. I'm counting on you to pressure the midline. If she brings out Tentacool or something long-ranged, you push them off the board."
Nidorino let out a low snort, pawing the edge of the circle.
"Watch for Scald, Supersonic, or confusion plays," Nathan continued. "You can't outpace them, but if you holdโฆ we can cut their line."
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ: ๐๐ข๐๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐จ โ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ | ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ง
๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐: ๐๐% ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ | ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ญ๐: +๐๐% ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง-๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ
๐๐จ๐ง๐: ๐๐ โ ๐๐/๐๐๐ (๐๐จ๐ฒ๐๐ฅ)
The last ball sat untouched.
Nathan stared at it.
Mankey.
Volatile. Strong. But the least prepared for water-based combat.
He opened the ball.
Mankey landed, tensed, then relaxed slightly upon seeing the rest of the group.
Nathan remained quiet for a moment.
"You're the wild card."
Mankey tilted his head.
"Your job isn't to lead. It's to shake. Hit hard. Force swaps. Draw reactions. And when we need an opening, create it."
He walked over and tapped Mankey's chest lightly.
"But you have to stay focused. No brawling for the sake of it."
Mankey exhaled through his nose. A nod.
๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐: ๐๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ฒ โ ๐๐จ๐ง๐: ๐๐ โ ๐๐/๐๐๐ (๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ)
๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐: ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ (๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐)
๐๐ฌ๐ฒ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฒ๐ง๐: ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐
Nathan stood and looked out over the water.
Four team members.
Each with a role.
Each piece in motion.
But Misty wasn't like Brock. She wouldn't wait for him to test things mid-match. Her arena moved. Her tactics flowed. And her attention never wandered.
This wasn't about overthinking.
It was about rhythm.
He closed his notebook and looked at each of them.
Zorua.
Squirtle.
Nidorino.
Mankey.
Then up to the stars.
"Tomorrow, we hit the water. Not just to stay afloat. But to navigate. We don't just survive the field, we take control of it."
His team didn't cheer.
But they stood straighter.
Ready.